Guy Windsor has been training historical fencers for over twenty years. For many swordsmen and swordswomen, expert freeplay (also called sparring or fencing) is the pinnacle of the art; both desirable and hard to attain. In this book he describes the step-by-step process he uses to take students from absolute beginner to expert fencer.

This is system can be applied to any style of fencing, because it is not about the specifics of technique. It is about the process of developing skill. It includes instruction on:

• Overcoming personal challenges, such as fear of injury, or fear of embarrasment


• Overcoming practical challenges, like developing fencing memory


• Building the bridge between set drill and competitive freeplay, through gradually increasing the complexity of the drill.


• Setting up different freeplay contexts to develop key skills.

Guy Windsor is a professional researcher and teacher of historical European swordsmanship, and the author of several top-selling books on the subject, including The Swordsman’s Companion, The Medieval Longsword, and The Duellist’s Companion.